Been caught up with too many commitments, here’s another post a year late. This was a trip I took on a short career break in 2023, traversing the nostalgia-inducing Jungle Railway in Malaysia. On this trip I made 3 stops towards the northern end of the line – Kota Bharu, Perhentian Islands (not directly on the line) and Dabong. I hope to add posts on the Jungle Railway itself, as well as visit other stops along the way in future, but for now, here are some impressions from 2 days Kota Bharu!
Getting to Kota Bharu
We took the overnight train from Johor Bahru to Kota Bharu. There is one train a day that connects from Johor straight through the Jungle Railway (or East Coast railway) to the last stop at Tumpat. There are other train timings available but those require transfers. The direct train departs Johor Bahru Sentral daily in the evening at 8.25pm and ends at Tumpat at 12.54pm. Sleeper berths are available but limited. The train ride itself was quite an experience, more on the train another time.
To get to Kota Bharu, the stop at Wakaf Bharu would be nearer. However, since we were on the Jungle Railway and the last stop was 15 minutes (scheduled) away, we went the distance to complete the line. It turned out to be another extra hour as the train came to an abrupt halt just minutes before the scheduled arrival in Tumpat.
According to the crew member who came to update us, the train had ran over someone sleeping on the tracks. There wasn’t much we could do while waiting for the police and crew to assess the situation and complete the necessary procedures. By then,there was probably less than 10 of us passengers and crew. After a few of rounds restlessly pacing the entire length of the train we could almost recognise everyone. We stayed out of the action and the crew tried their best to keep us updated. Almost as abruptly as we stopped, the train started again, and we were in Tumpat.
Day 1 – Tumpat, Wat Machimmaram, Wat Phothivihan, Pasar Malam Wakaf Che Yeh
After that bit of adrenaline to jolt us from the sleepy train ride we stumbled out of the train into Tumpat. There didn’t appear to be much going on around the station. Nonetheless, the small drinks shop next to the station was a welcome break for weary travellers and crew alike.
It was time for lunch so after a refreshing glass of iced tea we continued our search for food. We found a Nasi Campur stall just around the corner, just what we needed.
After lunch, we visited 2 of the famous attractions in the vicinity. Both were Buddhist temples known for their gigantic Buddha statues (in different poses). Finding a Grab, as with most rural areas in Malaysia, was a challenge. We eventually found a driver who informed us there would be a slight wait as he got ready to get out of the house. With the low volume of passengers, it appears the drivers don’t continually ply the road. We were thankful to have found that driver. We had been in other towns in Malaysia where neither Grab nor Grabfood gets any response.
Our driver got us to our first stop, Wat Machimmaram. He offered his phone number for us to contact him when we were ready to go to the next stop. I was apprehensive of being overcharged but we had little choice as there weren’t many/ any drivers around. It turned out fine in the end as the driver quoted us prices similar to our earlier price from Grab. Grab probably won’t be happy about him bypassing their platform though.
Wat Machimmaram
Wat Machimmaram is known for its large statue of Buddha in a seated position. We were keen to find out what style of temple this would be in, being part of Malaysia but in close proximity of Thailand. We arrived to find the place empty but well kept. The 30 meter tall statue was an impressive sight.
As the temple appeared to be closed when we visited, we did not venture further into the buildings. We spent some time roaming the grounds and admiring the temple from the outside before reaching the driver to get to our next stop.
Wat Phothivihan
Wat Phothivihan, on the other hand, has a large statue of the Sleeping Buddha. It was completed in 1979. This temple also has Thai origin and influences. The statue is 40m long and is one of the largest in the region.
I think this might have looked a little more impressive than the seated Buddha statue, and if there is time for only one, this would be a slightly better choice. There were more visitors (still few and far between) to this temple than the previous one. There were also some food stalls, and many stray dogs. We admired the statue from all angles, then enjoyed a nice cold coconut at the stall on the temple grounds. It was getting late in the afternoon, and time to head to the city of Kota Bharu.
Airbnb at Kota Bharu City Point
First up, checking into our Airbnb for the night. It was in a convenient location in town at Kota Bharu City Point, walking distance to the main sights. The building appeared to be slightly rundown. “Slightly”, because the glass railings of escalators were shattered and some of the lower floors that appeared to have been boarded up in a hurry, but the other parts looked clean and well maintained, with an operational security counter and convenience store.
There was a similarly contrasting situation in the room. The room itself was acceptably clean, but we could see the aircon ledge absolutely destroyed by pigeons. A family of them made themselves very comfortable in the snug corner on the ledge, surrounded by their poop. Closed the curtains and got them out of mind. We had a short break and headed for our last stop of the day, the night market at Wakaf Che Yeh.
Pasar Malam Wakaf Che Yeh
Pasar Malam Wakaf Che Yeh is a short drive away from the city center. We were able to get a Grab relatively easily this time. We were a little early and most of the stalls were not yet open. The entire night market spans quite a huge area. I’m not sure if it was usually the case or if it was an off season, that there weren’t many people at the market even as we stayed on through the night. Still, many stalls and shops were open and tried some local dishes before ending with the typical syrupy drinks no endocrinologist would approve. A little short on atmosphere but still a fun way to end our first night on our Jungle Railway adventure.
Day 2 – Siti Khadijah Market, Handicrafts Village, Istana Jahar
For our second and last day in Kota Bharu, we visited some of the attractions within the city center and tried as much of the amazing food Kota Bharu had to offer as our bellies could take. Most of these were within walking distance, the only only obstacle to walking all day being the blazing heat in the city.
Siti Khadijah Market
Our first stop is the eye-catching Siti Khadijah Market. It was interesting seeing all sorts of local produce and products in one place. Fresh ingredients and ready to eat food were on the first floor, while dry goods and handicrafts were on the upper floors. The market is not a very old one, but it was awesome being able to see the wide range of local food and products and experience the local hustle.
Restoran Nasi Ulam Cikgu
Restoran Nasi Ulam Cikgu is a popular lunch spot next to the Handicrafts Village. Nasi Ulam is steamed rice eaten with raw local herbs/ vegetables of your choice, topped with sambal. Delicious and healthy. It’s pretty much self-service, from getting your rice, to picking the vegetables to go with it, as well as filling your plates with the other delectable sides such as fried fish or grilled chicken. It’s nice for proteins to take the backseat for once and let the vegetables shine.
The tricky part for us was having to inform the cashier of the items picked when making payment after the meal. We often had no idea what we were picking. To resolve this, we got the staff to help us take down what we took before we started eating, to avoid having a tough time later recalling what we took and figuring out what they were called.
With great food and helpful staff, it was easy to see why the restaurant was bustling.
Handicrafts Village
After the satisfying meal, we headed next door to the Handicrafts Village. The compound comprises a museum showcasing Kelantan’s handicrafts and art forms, a couple of private art studios providing the opportunity to experience making local handicrafts, as well as a couple of the usual souvenir stalls. We visited just the museum here.
The museum is not large but houses a good collection of artefacts and information covering local crafts such as from woodworking, basket weaving, batik making, local dresses and more. It can be covered in an hour or so. It was intriguing observing the different handicrafts up close. While they bear similarities to handicrafts in the Southeast Asian region, there was also a distinctively Kelantan side which showed.
Istana Jahar
Less than 5 minutes away on foot is Istana Jahar, our next stop. (sharing the Bahasa Melayu Wikipedia link as it has a more detailed explanation. Please translate the page to English with your browser instead of clicking the link for the English Wikiipedia page). Istana Jahar was a royal residence built by the Sultan of Kelantan for his grandon in 1855. It is one of the few buildings preserved from that era and is now the museum of royal customs. The architecture and building itself is interesting and worth a visit. Apart from presenting information on royal customs, there is also a section in a separate building in the same compound that delves into traditional knives and swords. Both exhibitions were informative and intriguing.
Nasi Kukus Zaeman
On to more food. There were plenty of street side stalls in the area. We decided to check out Nasi Kukus Zaeman, as we wanted to try nasi kukus and this was one of the popular options. The main parts of nasi kukus are the fluffy steamed rice, a protein (fried chicken for us), and lots of curry. Rice for nasi kukus is steamed in single serving aluminium bowls, resulting in the rice served in a shaped mound. There weren’t many customers when we arrived in the middle of the afternoon, and we got our food quickly. Another hit for us in Kota Bharu. The rice, chicken and curry went perfectly together and was delicious.
Nasi Kerabu
We were a little tired from the walks between sights in the sun so after that afternoon snack we headed back to our accommodation and stayed in for the night. For dinner, there was one last dish we wanted to try, nasi kerabu. Nothing a Grabfood order couldn’t fix as with any major city in Malaysia. Nasi kerabu is steamed rice paired with crackers, a protein, and salads made with local herbs and vegetables. The rice in nasi kerabu is dyed blue using butterfly pea flowers. It was an interesting dish, lots of flavours, and the salad made it feel healthier than the afternoon snack.
Beyond Kota Bharu
And that concluded our short visit to Kota Bharu. Definitely eye opening for me, as it was the first city on the east coast of peninsula Malaysia I had visited. We were initially apprehensive as we read much about how things were extremely strict and religious here. We paid a little more attention to our attire and to local customs and for that we did not encounter any issues here. In fact, locals we encountered were quite welcoming, despite the occasional language barrier. Just from the brief visit, we had a hint of the amazing food and culture this region had to offer, and that might be one of the reasons for me to return in future. For now, onward to Perhentian Islands!
